Melvin Yong, NTUC shared on taking ownership of workplace safety and health // Design and maintenance of catwalk platform on board ship for safe access to and egress from workplace

“Why is Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) ownership important? It signifies shared responsibility for everyone to embrace the same mindset – that is not just my employer’s or my supervisor’s or my colleague’s job to tackle WSH. With ownership, individuals are more likely to speak up when they see safety issues, report an incident, have a positive attitude towards safety and take new safety initiatives seriously”

In this blogpost about taking ownership of WSH, Mr Melvin Yong, Secretary for National Trades Union Congress’s WSH Committee shares his thoughts on how every individual’s effort count towards preventing injuries, regardless of our role in an organisation. Since joining the WSH team, Mr Yong has advocated a holistic “3Cs” approach towards WSH ownership, which includes:

More targeted Coaching

Greater Commitment

Better Coordination

He highlighted examples of employers who have taken proactive measures to identify and address potential WSH hazards.

Design and maintenance of catwalk platform on board ship for safe access to and egress from workplace

A worker was walking on a catwalk platform on board a ship undergoing repair works when one of the grating panels suddenly gave way. He fell through the opening on the platform and landed on the main deck about 8m below. Investigation revealed that the support brackets of the grating panels were heavily corroded.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) would like to remind industry stakeholders to take all necessary and relevant precautionary measures to prevent recurrence.